Recently my family and I attended the graduation ceremony of my son Ryan from Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Benning, Ga. The emotions that were present, not only from the soldiers and the families in attendance, but from the circumstances of the training, were tremendous. Many families and friends made the trip to Georgia, and the pride and respect for all these soldiers was evident from the cheers to the tears.

We all have our views and opinions of the global war on terrorism, but we must not lose sight of what we do support. These men and women have put their lives in the hands of our military to train them and to provide them with the physical and mental skills required to perform the duties assigned to them. We should be thanking our lucky stars every day that there are such wonderful citizens who will give their all for so many that will protest and complain how they feel the way the country should be run “according to me.”

The training was more than most of us can image or begin to realize that the human body can be pushed that much. My son has continually amazed himself, family and friends with what he can do and has been qualified to do. He has been taken to higher level of discipline and agility that only someone with commitment and deep love of their country could obtain.

The Soldier’s Creed states:

I am an American Soldier.

I am a Warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the Unites Stated of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am an American Soldier.

This creed is taken at graduation time, though these fine human beings have been living and training for this pledge for many weeks. This is the doctrine of people who are ready to lay down their lives to protect our freedom and our right to stand up and protest. They are defending one’s right to say they oppose war in a safe and democratic way. They are defending your right to live in freedom, your right to burn our flag in opposition of your stance on war and keeping you secure in knowing that your protest marches and rallies can be carried out regardless of the cause and concern.

The next time that you see an active combatant or veteran, from any branch of our exceptional Armed Forces, thank them. They have been through hell to keep your slice of heaven free. They act ready to defend your ability to have your opinion in an open and free country. They have given up time with family and friends. They have given up more in physical training than any dedicated athlete ever could. They have made themselves ready and able to defend us and, if necessary, give the ultimate sacrifice of their lives for love and honor of our great country.

It is easy for all of us to put a sticker on our car, or hang a flag from our house. Please stop and think about what has transpired over centuries of time that has allowed us the liberty of our own self-being and our own capacity to express our own views. Thank those who have suffered, become maimed in a society that places such emphasis on appearance, and comfort the families and friends of those who receive the terrible news that their proud and revered loved one will not be returning. This is the ultimate sacrifice, which protect the freedom and sanctity of what we all hold so dear.

Whatever your views are, you can be proud in the fact that perfect strangers are standing ready to defend others who may or may not share their views. These proud and highly skilled individuals are here for any time of crises that may come upon us. They selflessly give whatever is asked to continue our history of freedom and justice for all.

Ellen Celli is a resident of Brewer.